FE You asked

What are you basing your decisions on,

Unlike yourself I haven't made a decision yet, however at present my gut reaction which I believe is the feeling of many is concerns of where this EU is destined to take us if we allow it to role on. We are no now simply talking common market but of a federal Europe.

fm. Your erudition does you credit but you know what I mean

Thinking that the grass is always greener elsewhere is a trap for young players but this does not mean that efforts should be made to improve a situation.

I invest in shares- carefully- but I will have nothing to do with firms whose finances are uncertain. The EU finances are in a mess and need sorting. It is not a Company that any sensible investor would consider.

I was nineteen in 1974 and to be honest can't remember if I voted or not to stay in the EEC but it seemed to me that a community of countries that had free trade between them could only be a good thing, there was no hint at that time or certainly not to me of the EEC becoming the EU with a parliament in Brussels and having power over the parliaments of constituent countries, in fact before it was the EEC I seem to remember it being the Common Market, free trade a good thing, a Common Market a good thing, a parliament in Brussels meddling in out affairs not for me. Having said all that I would be wary about leaving the EU but as Cameron has said (never thought I would agree with a Tory) we should try and renegotiate our membership and maybe have a look at what we mean by a European Union.

Flak999

Look at two countires - Germany and Britain. Consider where they both were in 1945, and consider where they both are now, in economic terms.

Germany has the largest economy in Europe, and the fourth largest in the world. Britain has the third largest in Europe, and the sixth largest in the world.

By anyone's standards the German economic recovery since 1945 has been nothing short of astonishing, and it hasn't happened by luck. The German Chancellor doesn't need to dream of dominance - in an economic sense she already has it, and it happened because instead of sitting around wondering how little work they could do for the maximum amount of money the German people rolled up their sleeves and got on with it.

Forum Editor

Look at two countires - Germany and Britain. Consider where they both were in 1945, and consider where they both are now, in economic terms.

I agree, we were the victors in 1945 but the war bankrupted us, whilst the Germans although nominally the losers benefited hugely from the Marshall plan and european reconstruction from the US. That is what contributed hugely to the German economic miracle. Along with, I will agree the German work ethic.

In many ways I admire the Germans, their single minded approach to whatever they turn their hands to, be it building Volkswagen cars or world domination they devote themselves to it heart and soul.

I just don't want to be part of the fourth Reich that's all!